I don't know if anyone remembers this stuff called Fusen gum we used to get in India during the 80s when we were kids. Maybe you still get it, I don't know. But I had totally forgotten about it. The other day I was in this Korean supergrocery and I saw this packet of Chinese looking gum on the counter and I said why the heck not and bought it. And when I opened the package and saw the words "Fusen Gum", it was like someone had lit a bulb in my brain after leaving the gas on. My mind exploded. And the memories rushed in.
Fusen Gum was this expensive bubble gum, costing about 1.50 rupees when the average gum used to cost 50 paise. But it was fucking worth it. For one, there was a rumor that this gum never lost its taste, no matter how long you chewed on it. And I think it was true. Secondly, it was soft gum, even luxuriously so. It did not harden during 10th hour chewage like most other gums. Also, it did not taste like every other gum either. It was kind of fruity without being effeminate. Thirdly, this bubble gum compensated in performance what it lacked in size. You could blow some amazing bubbles that would cover your entire face. Fourthly, these bubbles never stuck to your skin and hair. And fifthly, the back of the wrapper was a tattoo applicator so with a little bit of spit, you could give yourself a temporary tattoo. This tattoo even smelt great. I'm telling you, this thing was way ahead of its time.
I feel that in order to do adequate justice to the glory of this gum, it is imperative that I link to this random guy I found on the webtubes who appears to have penned a loving tribute to the Fusen Gum which includes a detailed step by step fully illustrated tutorial for beginners on how to enjoy this gum.
17 comments:
Heck yeah! There was another gum...Racer? There were pictures of cars in it numbered from 1 to 100 and we were supposed to collect them all. Never had that much gum in one summer. Probably the gum manufacturers didn't bother to put in car #89 or couple more.
omg i remember fusen gum. all that bubble blowing and proudly proclaiming that it was fusen gum. gross.
'fkos I remember it man. The tattoos seem vague now, but at that point of time made me feel like I was part of TNMT and Transformers. You've pinned all the USPs of that spectacular gum. The tattoo and the non-stickiness more than justified the premium.
of course of course. Fusen gum ! Oh i remember. You describe it perfectly. I used to love the tattoos and painstakingly transfer them to my forearm.
I want a fusen gum now.
omg, i do remember fusen gum! brought back memories of summer holidays in india (that was the only time my parents let me chew gum.)
can't recall now, but was this the same gum that had a picture inside the wrapper and we could iron it on to our shirts? i remember ironing some stuff on to my school uniform. pretty radical, eh?
Of course, I too have been gummified by fusen. All that you described is perfect. You did however forget that this wasnt available in any odd gocery store. Only the elite carried this.... It was a matter of pride and honour to chew this gum.
Not for the first time am I forced to cry, bitterly, to a world gone man, "Curse my American heritage!"
The only thing we had was Big League Chew and Candy Cigarettes which made us feel like adults, but not.
patrix : I don't remember the racer gum. We were probably behind the times in Pune. But I remember how we used to be constantly on the lookout for a better bubble gum and whenever we saw a new one on a shop shelf, we used to try it out. Only the Fusen ever met our expectations.
TGFI : Come on now. How can any kid not love bubble gum?
BA : Yeah, the tattoos rocked. They were damn futuristic images too.
arzan : Just go to any Chinese / Korean grocery. You'll find it there. Nowadays they have this Fusen 6 pack of various fruit flavors and one of them is the original one.
anjali : Yes, that was the tattoo. As far as I know, you were supposed to apply water to it and attach it to your arm where it would create a tattoo. Attaching it to school uniforms does seem radical.
car : I don't know if it was elite. It was available in the small store outside our school. But I guess since it cost more, I guess it was somewhat of a status symbol.
rob : We had those candy cigarettes too. They were called "Phantom cigarettes". When you licked the end, it appeared to be lighted. I finished off a pack a day. Later, Fusen gum helped me quit.
hey nice blog really enjoyed the post you posted i really appreciate it
with regards
edgar dantas
www.gadgetworld.co.in
Hey, you know what, its still available. But I've seen it only in the posher paan shops in Delhi. Have yet to come across it in Hyderabad. But this post brought back such old childhood memories.
Phantom ciggies! They were such fun on a cold, winter morning. We thought we were so cool back then when we 'smoked' one of these :)
Edgar : Thank you
ima : Good to know those things are still available. I would hate today's kids to grow up without bubble gum and fake cigarettes.
I think this has been available all these years.. tho i didnt know the name! I just knew it visually.. I remember Hubba bubba though.
Hey..I am just eating this gum..& on a whim googled it ..
wonderful post of yours..The Vishal Patel post link is awesome..(check out his site for some wonderful posts on chacha chaudhary & indrajal comics)
I am sure you will love seeing this http://www.marukawagum.com/e/products.html
Hey guys anybody can tell me how to pronounce it???
fusen gum still available in mumbai india just bought a pack of 60 standard for rupees 150 :o)
i just bought a pack of 60 fusen bubble gum for rs150
I found them in Brigade Road, Bangalore. 60 units pack cost is 200 rupees. Each one they are selling it for 4 rupees.
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